Thomas Gardiner

Who was Thomas Gardiner?

Thomas Gardiner was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1640. He supported the Royalist cause in the English Civil War.

Gardiner was called to the bar ar Inner Temple in 1618. He became Recorder of London in 1636 and a bencher of his Inn. In 1639 he became treasurer of his Inn.

In April 1640, Gardiner was elected Member of Parliament for Callington in the Short Parliament. He was an unsuccessful Royalist candidate for the city of London. In 1642 he was leading counsel to Sir Edward Herbert, when he was impeached. Gardiner was impeached himself impeached soon after for his support of ship-money. He was solicitor-general to the king at Oxford in 1643. He was a Royalist commissioner at the Treaty of Uxbridge and Royalist attorney-general in 1645. He was pardoned by parliament in 1647 on payment of fine.